The invention relates to ploughs for entrenching pipelines, cables or the like, for example in the bed of a body of water.
A plough is described in British Pat. No. 2,017,785 in which two separate plough body shares are connected to respective beams. The beams are connected at their forward ends about vertical pivot axes to structure extending across the pipeline. The pivots allow the beams and shares to be moved apart to allow the pipeline to pass between the shares, after which the shares are brought together beneath the pipeline.
Another type of plough is known having a main chassis frame which extends across the pipeline. Two plough body shares are each pivotally connected to the frame and angularly separate to allow the pipeline to pass between them.
Those ploughs have the disadvantage that pitching and downward movements of the plough relative to the pipeline impose large and damaging loads on the pipeline by impact with the structure or chassis frame extending across the pipeline.